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Cabinet of the Lenovan Empire
The 'Cabinet of the Lenovan Empire '''is part of the executive branch of the federal government of the Lenovan Empire. The Cabinet's role, inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) of the Constitution, is to serve as an advisory body to the Chancellor and Emperor of the Lenovan Empire. Additionally, the Twenty-fifth Amendment authorizes the Vice Chancellor, together with a majority of certain members of the Cabinet, to declare the chancellor "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office". Among the senior officers of the Cabinet are the Vice Chancellor and the heads of the federal executive departments, all of whom—if eligible—are in the line of succession. Members of the Cabinet (except for the Vice Chancellor) serve at the pleasure of the Chancellor, who can dismiss them at will for no cause. All federal public officials, including Cabinet members, are also subject to impeachment by the House of Deputies and trial in the House of Peers for "treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors". The Chancellor can also unilaterally designate senior Palsbury Mansion staffers, heads of other federal agencies as members of the Cabinet, although this is a symbolic status marker and does not, apart from attending Cabinet meetings, confer any additional powers. History The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1200 Constitutional Convention regarding whether the president would exercise executive authority singly or collaboratively with a cabinet of ministers or a privy council. As a result of the debates, the Constitution (Article II, Section 1, Clause 1) vests "all executive power" in the chancellor and emperor singly, and authorizes—but does not compel—the chancellor(Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) to "require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices".] The Constitution does not specify what the executive departments will be, how many there will be, or what their duties should be. Federal law In 3 L.E.C. § 302 with regard to delegation of authority by the Chancellor, it is provided that "nothing herein shall be deemed to require express authorization in any case in which such an official would be presumed in law to have acted by authority or direction of the Chancellor." This pertains directly to the heads of the executive departments as each of their offices is created and specified by statutory law (hence the presumption) and thus gives them the authority to act for the Chancellor within their areas of responsibility without any specific delegation. Under the 1467 Federal Anti-Nepotism statute, federal officials are prohibited from appointing their immediate family members to certain governmental positions, including those in the Cabinet.4 Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1598, an administration may appoint acting heads of department from employees of the relevant department. These may be existing high-level career employees, from political appointees of the outgoing administration (for new administrations), or sometimes lower-level appointees of the administration.5 Confirmation process The heads of the executive departments and all other federal agency heads are nominated by the Chancellor and then presented to the Senate for confirmation or rejection by a simple majority (although before the use of the "nuclear option" during the 113th Imperial Senate they could have been blocked by filibuster, requiring cloture to be invoked by 3⁄5 supermajority to further consideration). If approved, they receive their commission scroll, are sworn in and then begin their duties. An elected Vice Chancellor does not require Senate confirmation, nor does the Palsbury Mansion Chief of Staff, which is an appointed staff position of the Executive Office of the Chancellor. Salary The heads of the executive departments and most other senior federal officers at cabinet or sub-cabinet level receive their salary under a fixed five level pay plan known as the Executive Schedule, which is codified in Title 5 of the Lenovan Imperial Code. 21 positions, including the heads of the executive departments and others, receiving Level I pay are listed in 5 L.E.C. § 5312, and those 46 positions on Level II pay (including the number two positions of the executive departments) are listed in 5 L.E.C. § 5313. As of January 3049, the Level I annual pay was set at $205,700.6 The annual salary of the Vice Chancellor is $235,300.6 The salary level was set by the Government Salary Reform Act of 1789, which also provides an automatic cost of living adjustment for federal employees. The Vice Chancellor does not automatically receive a pension based on that office, but instead receives the same pension as other members of the Senate based on his ''ex officio position as President of the Senate.7 Current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials The individuals listed below were nominated by Chancellor Eli Goldman to form his Cabinet and were confirmed by the Imperial Senate on the date noted, or are serving as acting department heads by his request pending the confirmation of his nominees. For a full list of people nominated for Cabinet positions, see Formation of Eli Goldman's Cabinet. Vice Chancellor and the Heads of the Executive Departments The Cabinet includes the Vice Chancellor and the heads of 15 executive departments, listed here according to their order of succession to the Chancellorship. These 15 positions are the core "cabinet member" seats, as distinct from other Cabinet-level seats for other various top level White House staffers and heads of other government agencies, none of whom are in the chancellorship line of succession and not all of whom are Officers of the Lenovan Empire. Note that the Speaker of the House of Deputies and the President pro tempore of the Senate follow the Vice Chancellor and precede the Secretary of Defense in the order of succession, but both are in the legislative branch and are not part of the Cabinet. Cabinet-level officials The following officials hold positions that are considered to be Cabinet-level positions: